Ghana's annual hunting ban protects wildlife, but locals want alternatives—especially when they don't have enough to eat and elephants destroy crops.

Accra

Ghana has implemented a six-month nationwide hunting ban to help threatened wildlife populations recover, particularly during breeding season. The ban, which exempts only grasscutters with a valid license, is enforced by rangers in national parks like Mole, where illegal hunting remains a challenge due to longstanding traditions and economic pressures.

While the ban has led to a reduction in poaching incidents, it has also sparked discontent among local farmers who suffer crop losses from wildlife and receive little compensation. Authorities have introduced alternative income sources such as beekeeping and fruit trees, but many locals feel these measures do not fully address their losses. The success of the ban depends on effective communication and support for affected communities.

Ghana hunting ban helps threatened species but faces pushback

Wildlife rangers have discovered a suspicious footprint. They are searching for illegal intruders deep inside the Morley National Park in northern Ghana. It's part of a mission to protect wildlife. A six-month nationwide hunting ban came to effect on August 1st. As a national park, hunting is not allowed. Hunting is not allowed. It's something that is prohibited in the park. And the Colosseum has come to enforce it or to enhance the seriousness and effectiveness of the law enforcement guys with the rangers to enforce more effective patrols. Ghana's wildlife is under pressure, both from poachers and the loss of habitat. But the ban is not just for animals that are protected anyway in national parks, but also key sources of bushmeat. Only grasscutters can still be hunted, provided hunters have a valid license. The exemption is because they are abundant and not endangered, unlike many other wild species. That is why the six-month closed season was introduced. The aim is to give them a chance to replenish their population at an important time. This is the time animals breed to make or increase population. They are nursing their younger ones. Others are pregnant that they need to get to a period to get this offspring delivered for the population of the animals to keep growing. Meanwhile, a farmer from a village on the edge of the park is hunting for bears. He risks at least one year in prison. The hunting ban has been in place since the 1970s, but the penalties for violations have been tightened since 2024. The poacher knows he is violating the ban, but the harvest from his field is not enough to live on. He has shot down a white-faced whistling duck. While not considered endangered, his actions are still illegal during the ban. Sometimes when I catch a lot, I sell the meat. I use part of the money to buy fuel, bullets or to support my family. I learned hunting from my father. Now that he is old, I have taken over. These long-standing traditions are difficult to change. The success of the hunting ban will depend partly on how well people understand why it is important. The authorities need to communicate that more effectively. When the public is aware that this is the result of our abstinence from hunting, this is how the state is benefiting, and this is how the individual is also benefiting. The individual, the community, it helps the presence. But for now, there is no visible resource regarding this ban on wildlife in the country. Mole National Park is one of Ghana's largest wildlife reserves, covering nearly 5,000 square kilometers. But it is not fenced in. Elephants often stray onto farmers' fields outside the park, feasting on crops or trampling them, like farmer Sayibu Alhassan's yam field. This affects people's livelihoods. Far from wanting to protect the animals, locals are then just frustrated. The elephants came and did this to my farm. The yams are still too young to harvest. Now what am I supposed to do? It's painful, and I won't be compensated. How will I feed my family? Each time, the park authorities are meticulous in recording the damage, but so far there's been no compensation. A fair scheme for compensating farmers could increase acceptance for protecting the animals. The issue is also causing discontent in the village of Mognori, on the edge of the National Park. Liaison officer Nyadia Yacobo is reaching out to villagers, including former poachers. He tells them the hunting ban means their children and grandchildren will still be able to experience the wild animals. But the people don't want lectures. They want a solution. They should give us compensation in the form of money. That would be better than the trees they give us. He is referring to fruit trees that are distributed free of charge. Saka Salia has been given cashew and mango trees, and a deer colony that provides him with honey. But they are not compensation for damage. Rather, they are designed to help farmers supplement their income so they no longer need to poach. They gave us beehives so we could support ourselves. With this, when the day begins, you don't worry about going out to poach. You stop hunting, because when you harvest the honey, it helps your household. Life used to be hard, but since I started beekeeping, by the grace of God, things are changing. Back to the anti-poaching patrol, the rangers are also working with cameras. Today, they show no evidence of poachers, but what the footage does make clear, these aren't just random animals, but individual creatures worth protecting. An inquisitive Savannah buffalo, a panther's monkey in a great hurry, and a very young harness bushback. Since the hunting ban started in August, the rangers at Morley National Park have caught three poachers. During the last six-month ban, the total was 15. Today, they found nothing, maybe just on one successful day. Or perhaps a sign that the hunting ban is working.

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